2 suggestions to improve the way the menus work

[AthenaAtDelphi]

1. wrap-around menus

Instead of going from the first item in a menu to the last item by selecting all the items in between, just press once on the Move Cursor Up button.

For example, if you want to select Experimental in the Home menu (the default selected item is Shop in Kindle Store), you have to press the Move Cursor Down button 6 times. If it was a wrap-around menu, you'd have to press the Move Cursor Up button only twice.
　
　
2. "underlined letters for keyboard navigation" (Windows terminology)

After opening a menu, every item is selectable by pressing only 1 letter on the keyboard.

The Home menu could look like this:

Turn Wireless Off

Shop in Kindle Store
View Archived Items
Search
Create New Collection
Sync & Check for Items
View Downloading Items

Settings
Experimental

So, selecting Experimental only takes 2 actions:
- open the Home menu;
- press the letter E on the keyboard;

[varmemester]

+1 for those two suggestions

[TheKindleWorm]

Good suggestions and I like both but you don't need to press the 5 way button down 6 times to get to the Experimental part on the menu - just press once and keep holding it down and it will scroll down for you - so in reality it is just one press. But yes it could be improved as well

[el_brio]

Good ideas but they are so obvious that I wonder if this functionality was left out on purpose. The engineers probably had a discussion something like this:

Engineer 1: Can we please talk about my simple usability upgrades? I think the user base can handle it.

Marketing: Sorry. We ran several studies on these improvements and determined that they are 90% more likely to confound the average user. Sorry.

Engineer 1: But, the thing is, if someone didn't want to use these functions they wouldn't even need to. It would be completely transparent to the users.

Marketing: Don't forget that 30% of our market first learned about the device while watching Oprah.

Engineer 1: Yes but... Surely they can't all be...

Marketing: And another 20% are frequent romance novel readers.

Engineer 1: You're right. Never mind. We better make sure to round the corners on this generation.

Marketing: NOW you're speaking my language!

Get ready for the obligatory "BUT THE KINDLE IS FOR READING!!!" and the "I THINK THE KINDLE IS PERFECT AS IT IS" posts that will soon follow as they do in nearly every single criticism thread I see get posted here.

[Jack Tingle]

I have to agree with the Eng./Mktg. discussion for item 1. I've heard about studies that said it was a double-edges sword for useability.

On the other hand, Item 2 might be an oversight, and might be added some day. It's not obvious, since AFAIK, almost no one uses the similar Windows shortcuts.

On the gripping hand, "Of course it's perfect the way it is you idiot. It's just for reading, stop picking at it and read." Oh, and by the way, "Don't read in the dark you moron, you'll ruin your eyes. Turn on a light."



Regards,
Jack Tingle

[krazy4katz]

I agree with both suggestions. Oddly, #1 is already true inside a book, so someone must have thought about it!

[AthenaAtDelphi]

Originally Posted by Jack Tingle

I've heard about studies that said it was a double-edges sword for useability.

Never heard of that before. But suppose it's true that some people don't like it. Then why not make it a choice (current menu behavior, or wrap-around menus) in the Settings section ?

Originally Posted by Jack Tingle

It's not obvious, since AFAIK, almost no one uses the similar Windows shortcuts.

That's because you can use a mouse with your PC/laptop/netbook.
Actually shortcuts are quite useful if there's no mouse available. Like with the Kindle.

[magicmonster]

I want them both!

[AthenaAtDelphi]

Originally Posted by krazy4katz

Oddly, #1 is already true inside a book, so someone must have thought about it!

Are you sure about that ?
I just checked a pdf- and an azw-ebook: they both do not have wrap-around menus on my K3.

[TomF]

Originally Posted by AthenaAtDelphi

1. wrap-around menus

Instead of going from the first item in a menu to the last item by selecting all the items in between, just press once on the Move Cursor Up button.

For example, if you want to select Experimental in the Home menu (the default selected item is Shop in Kindle Store), you have to press the Move Cursor Down button 6 times. If it was a wrap-around menu, you'd have to press the Move Cursor Up button only twice.

It seems like this could help with the problem of the markings on the keys coming off. I have a Graphite and the upper left edge of the down arrow is fainter than the rest of the key. If you're scrolling down your home page and scrolling down menus a lot, it is arguably the key that is most used. If the menus wrapped around I would have pressed the down arrow a lot less.

[AthenaAtDelphi]

Originally Posted by TomF

It seems like this could help with the problem of the markings on the keys coming off.

Absolutely.
And even more in combination with #2 "underlined letters for keyboard navigation" .

[vega07]

AGREE!
AGREE!

[daffy4u]

Have you forwarded your suggestions to Amazon?

[krazy4katz]

Originally Posted by AthenaAtDelphi

Are you sure about that ?
I just checked a pdf- and an azw-ebook: they both do not have wrap-around menus on my K3.

Oh, I wasn't thinking straight. I wasn't thinking of the menus. I was thinking if you move the cursor up and down the page. If you are on the last line and you want to go to the top, you move the cursor down and it reappears on the top.

Sorry about that!

[AthenaAtDelphi]

Originally Posted by daffy4u

Have you forwarded your suggestions to Amazon?

Not yet. I first wanted to see if other forum members were also interested in the 2 suggestions.

But I'm totally convinced that Amazon technicians read this forum very carefully. After all this is a/the place were Kindle owners say what they really think about their ereader. Here Amazon finds all the necessary information they need, and it's 'free of charge' for them (well, sort of).